Jordan Employee Memos

A friendly reminder for the Employee-Funded Sick Bank Policy,

• Employees are automatically enrolled in the sick bank each year through the annual donation of one (1) annual leave day to the sick bank.

More information regarding the Employee-Funded Sick Bank can be found in policies, DP326NEG -Sick Leave-Educational Support Professionals and DP324NEG -Sick Leave-Licensed.

For those who wish to opt out of participation in the Employee-Funded Sick Bank, keep an eye out for instructions starting in the July issues of JEM..

* First Year Educational Support Professionals and hourly employees are not eligible for sick bank, therefore, a sick bank day will not be deducted (if applicable).

Arcoro/InfinityHR will be used for all benefit eligible employees to make benefit elections offered at Open Enrollment and for newly eligible employees. Arcoro/InfinityHR is also used to make changes due to qualifying events throughout the plan year. Remember, you have 30 calendar days from the date of the event to make those changes.

All benefit eligible employees should login to the Arcoro enrollment system to verify dependents, add beneficiary information and make open enrollment elections. Make sure you add any dependents (including your spouse) to the basic life section so you get the district paid benefit. Instructions on how to log in are below.

Health Insurance Benefit Changes

In an effort to maintain a comprehensive offering of benefits, while at the same time keeping premiums at the current level, the following changes will be made for 2023-2024:

• Premiums
  Premium sheets are located on the Insurance department webpage
• Medical
  • Updating the adoption benefit to $4,000
  • Added benefit for infertility, covering additional costs up to $5,000/year and $20,000/lifetime
  • Increased the STAR (QHDHP) Plan deductible to $1,500/$3,000 due to IRS minimums
  • Mental Health and Substance Abuse visit limits have been removed
  • Administrative changes recommended by PEHP on all plans
• FSA
  • Health Care Account maximum increase to $3,050
  • If you wish to participate in Flexible Spending, you must elect new amounts each year. FSA election amounts do not roll over from year to year
  • Administrative fee increased to $3.08/mo. Paid by the District if you elect $1,200 or greater
• Dental
  • 5% Premium increase
  • Dental Select is no longer offering the Silver Discount Plan.
  • Premium sheets are located on the JSD Insurance Department webpage
• Life
  • Employees new guarantee issue amount is $300,000
  • All employees and their spouse can enroll in voluntary life insurance to the guarantee issue of up to $300,000 for employee and $50,000 for your spouse without answering health questions
  • All dependents will be covered up to age 26

Enrollment guide, premium sheets, carrier information, certificates and notifications (i.e. CHIP, Medicare D Creditable Coverage) are available for review on the Insurance department webpage.

If you require assistance accessing the webpage you may contact the insurance office.

Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) is a document, required to be made available by Health Care Reform. The purpose of the SBC is to provide information to help employees compare health plans. The SBC is available on the District Insurance Department webpage. A paper copy will be provided upon request. If you have any questions regarding the SBC, please contact a member of the Insurance Department for clarification.

Please familiarize yourself with the benefits in the master policy. A copy will be available on the Insurance department webpage.

---

Arcoro Login Instructions

1. Go to www.infinityhr.com
2. If you haven’t logged in before and don’t know your username and password, click on the “Forgot your username?” link. This will ask for your date of birth and Social Security # so that it can look up your record.
3. The following window will give you your username and let you set up a password. Make sure your new password has all of the listed requirements.
4. Click the link to log in using the username and password you just created.

Check out the May 2023 EMI Health newsletter. Stories include:

• Build a Better Body Image - Having a healthy body image means that you feel good about how you look. The next time you look in the mirror, compliment yourself. Good self-esteem starts with kindness. Maybe you love the shape of your face, the color of your eyes or your arms that can hug loved ones. It may sound silly, but positive self-talk can be very helpful. If you tend toward negative self-talk, ask yourself, “Would I be this harsh if I was talking to my friend?” Treat yourself with the same kindness you give to others.
• Sugar: Just How Bad Is It? - Added sugar is found in about 65% of products on grocery store shelves, and North Americans tend to consume a lot of the sweet stuff. The trouble is that high-sugar diets — defined as more than 12 teaspoons of added sugar per day — are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, unhealthy blood cholesterol and some types of cancer.
• Emotional Intelligence - Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your emotions in positive ways. Also known as emotional quotient (EQ), it can be as important as IQ in your personal life and your work.
• Postpartum Depression - Popular culture often highlights the joy of becoming a parent, but it can also be challenging and exhausting. Some degree of anxiety and moodiness is normal. In fact, 50% to 75% of new parents have a period of sadness and crying known as the baby blues, which may appear in the first few days after birth, subsiding within about two weeks.

---

• May 2023 EMI Health Newsletter

Utah First Lady Abby Cox wants to make sure that teachers are appreciated, acknowledged, and supported and would like to invite you and your colleagues to Show Up for Teachers, a conference focused on promoting educator well-being. Educators are facing unique challenges. Our desire is to equip them with strategies and tools they can incorporate into their lives to improve overall wellness.

Here's what you can expect from the 2nd annual Show Up for Teachers Conference:

• Show Up for Teachers will be held on Wednesday, July 19th at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy. The conference will run from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Thanks to a generous grant from the state of Utah and donations from local businesses and charitable foundations, the $15 conference fee will be reimbursed via gift card upon arrival. There will also be giveaways, swag, and entertainment. Lunch and snacks will be provided.
• Conference sessions will address things like stress management, increasing resilience, and implementing school-wide wellness culture. Keynote speakers will include Arthur Brooks--best-selling author, Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, and columnist at The Atlantic, where he writes the popular weekly "How to Build a Life" column.
• USBE relicensure hours will be awarded to qualified candidates.

---

For additional details, please head the 2023 Show Up for Teachers Conference website. There are currently almost 1,500 educators registered from around the state, but there is room for more. Secure your seat by registering now.

We look forward to hosting you this summer!

• 2023 Show Up for Teachers Flyer & Letter from First Lady Abby Cox

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Over 50% of Americans are diagnosed with a mental illness, so chances are you or someone you love is struggling to get the help they need. Find out the most significant obstacles and what you can do to overcome them. Click the link below for your copy of May’s Health Insights.

• May 2023 Moreton & Company Health Insights Newsletter

Maybe it feels like the distant future to you, but retirement is real! And thanks to the substantial retirement benefit your employer funds on your behalf every paycheck, you’ve got a huge advantage over most Americans. As you make career decisions, consider the impact on your retirement.

Longevity is the secret sauce for leveraging your benefit toward a financially secure future — every time you get a raise, your retirement benefit gets a raise too! It’s vital to understand your retirement benefits so you can make the most of them.

• See How You Can Learn More About Your Employer’s Retirement Benefits
• URS - Retirement is Real Flyer

We have four workshops coming up in May! See attached for workshop flyers and details outlined below. Please forward this email to your employees.

• Topic: Anxiety Group (Monday’s)
  • Date: May 8 – June 12
  • Time: 5:30 – 7 p.m. MT
  • Location: Online!
• Topic: Women’s Mental Health 50+
  • Date: May 15
  • Time: 12 – 1 p.m. MT
  • Location: Online!
• Topic: Monthly Divorce/Separation Support Group
  • Date: 3rd Thursday of Every Month – Next group is May 18th
  • Time: 6:30 – 8 p.m. MT
  • Location: Online!
• Topic: Resources & Support for Substance Abuse
  • Date: May 24
  • Time: 12 – 1 p.m. MT
  • Location: Online!

To register for any of our upcoming workshops, please visit our website at blomquisthale.com/workshops/

---

• May 2023 Blomquist Hale Workshop Flyers

It was one surprise after another as members of the Jordan Education Foundation honored deserving teachers throughout Jordan School District with the “Outstanding Educator of the Year” award.

We invite you to watch this video, showing emotional surprises for the top 15 winners.

Congratulations to all!

School Holiday

Memorial Day May 29
Day Before May 26
Day After May 30                         

As Per DP335(B) and DP335 NEG:  Contracted employees who have not been approved by Human Resources for using an annual/personal day before or after a holiday may be docked (licensed $144 or ESP 40% of their daily rate) unless the leave reason is listed as an exception in policy.

An explanation of the exception must be written in the time off description box.

Please refer to policy for further clarification.

---

Last Five Days of School

May 31 – June 2

As per DP335(B) and DP335 NEG: Annual/Personal leave shall not be taken during the last five days that students are in school unless listed as an exception in policy.

---

• Payroll Due: May 2
• Direct Deposit Changes: May 10
• View Paycheck: May 23
• Pay Day: May 25

---

True Time Deadlines

• Date Range April 3 – April 30
• Employee Submittal May 3
• First Approval May 5
• Final Approval May 9

---

Substitute Deadlines                

• Date Range 4/17 - 4/28
  Due 5/1
  Payday 5/10
• Date Range 5/1 – 5/15
  Due 5/16
  Payday 5/25

The Native American Program is excited to invite Dr. Dusty Jansen, an Attorney and Judge in the tribal court systems and a professor at UVU, to present at the Auxiliary Services Building (entrance C) on May 10th, 2023, from 4:30 - 6  p.m. Licensed employees will be paid an in-service rate and will receive licensure points. Administrators are encouraged to attend and are required to sign up! We have limited slots available.

• RSVP Form for Native American Program Professional Development Presentation

IRS Tax Withholding Estimator helps people get ready for the 2024 filing season; make sure withholding is right on 2023 paychecks

The Internal Revenue Service today suggested taxpayers who filed or are about to file their 2022 tax return use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator to help update the amount of tax to have taken out of their 2023 pay.

The IRS says now is a good time to use this online tool. The Tax Withholding Estimator, also available in Spanish, can help people adjust how much is withheld and could put more cash in their pocket or help them avoid a tax bill for 2023.

The Tax Withholding Estimator offers workers, retirees and the self-employed a step-by-step guide to effectively tailor the amount of income tax they have withheld from wages, pension and other income. It’s especially useful after a major life change such as marriage, divorce, home purchase, the birth or adoption of a child or a big change in income.

Benefits of using the Estimator
For employees, withholding is the amount of federal income tax taken out of their paycheck. Workers can use the results from the Tax Withholding Estimator to determine if they should complete a new Form W-4 and submit it to their employer. For example, checking withholding can:

• Ensure the right amount of tax is withheld and prevent an unexpected tax bill or penalty at tax time.
• Determine whether to have less tax withheld from each paycheck, boosting take-home pay and reducing refunds at tax time.

What records are needed?
The Tax Withholding Estimator’s results are only as accurate as the information entered. To help prepare, the IRS recommends taxpayers gather:

• Their most recent pay statements and, if married, statements for their spouse.
• Information for other sources of income.
• Their most recent income tax return.

Withholding or estimated payments?
Income taxes must generally be paid as taxpayers earn or receive income throughout the year, through either withholding or estimated tax payments. If the amount of income tax withheld from one’s salary or pension is not enough, or if they receive other types of income such as interest, dividends, alimony, self-employment income, capital gains, prizes and awards, they may need to make estimated tax payments.

In 2023, taxpayers who receive more than $600 in income from third-party settlement organizations, including popular payment apps, may receive Form 1099-Ks. Individual taxpayers can use the IRS online Interactive Tax Assistant to see if they’re required to pay estimated taxes. Good recordkeeping is key.

People with complex tax situations should instead use the instructions in Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax. This includes taxpayers who owe alternative minimum tax or certain other taxes and people with long-term capital gains or qualified dividends.

• Tax Withholding Estimator FAQs
• Paycheck Checkup
• FS-2023-12, IRS offers several payment options, including help for those struggling to pay

The Literacy Matters Newsletter has the latest literary updates. Be sure to read this edition to stay connected with literacy. This newsletter includes:

• New Resources in Really Great Reading - Really Great Reading continues to add more resources to meet the needs of students and teachers. Countdown has new sound story animations. Also, there are new Blast extension unit lessons, The lessons focus on additional vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, and consonant -le pattern. The new resources can be found in the Supplemental Resources on the online tool.
• Fluency Routine - Good news!  - The 5-day fluency routine is now available for second graders! There are detailed lesson plans for each HD Word decodable passage. Lessons for units 1-7 and 20-32 are available on our Elementary Literacy website under programs - Really Great Reading - HD Word Fluency Routine Units 8-19 lessons will be added soon!
• Geodes and RGR Alignment - Check out this alignment guide created by Really Great Reading to help teachers know how the Geodes book sets align to the RGR phonics scope and sequence.

---

• April 2023 Literacy Matters Newsletter

Check out the April 2023 EMI Health newsletter. Stories include:

• Exercise Goofs - Regular exercise is one of the best habits you can maintain to protect your health, mentally and physically. Make the most of your workout goals, and avoid common exercise mistakes.
• Hunger Cues - The advice to eat according to your hunger cues, or “eat when you feel hungry, but stop when you feel full,” is popular in nutrition circles. It’s a more intuitive way of eating compared to diet culture’s dogma of counting calories or following a rigid meal plan.
• Peer Pressure: Not Just for Kids - The term peer pressure might call to mind children or teens who try to copy those around them, but we can be swayed by our peers at any age. Sometimes it’s intentional. We may strive to imitate others we admire or seek to gain their approval. Or we subconsciously act like those around us. If others are eating or drinking to excess, for example, this copycat behavior can be a problem.
• Humor Me!  - Humor can do far more than make you smile or laugh. Why did the banana go to the doctor? He wasn’t peeling well. Yes, that’s corny. But whether humor is silly or sophisticated, what makes you smile and even guffaw can benefit your health.

---

• April 2023 EMI Health Newsletter

If you or a loved one is in need of mental health services, sign up for a FREE 45 minute discussion of available mental health services for employees and their families to determine the best fit for their needs. 

Sign up for a virtual or in-person appointment with a knowledgeable clinician who can help you navigate the process. You are not alone. We are here to help. 

• Mental Wellness Consultations Flyer

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignments effective July 1, 2023:

• Jessica Hayes, administrator intern at the Child Development Center appointed assistant principal at the Child Development Center.
• Thyme Meleisea-Vea, administrator intern at Oak Leaf Elementary appointed assistant principal at Oak Leaf Elementary.
• Teresa Rossetti, administrator intern at Rosamond Elementary appointed assistant principal at Rosamond Elementary.
• Angela Solum, assistant principal at Riley Elementary in Salt Lake School District appointed assistant principal at Heartland Elementary.
• Jessica Wilson, administrator intern at South Valley and South Hills Middle appointed assistant principal at South Valley.
• Janae Young, administrator intern at Aspen Elementary appointed assistant principal at Silver Crest Elementary.

Transfers effective July 1, 2023:

• Kim Andersen, assistant principal at West Jordan Elementary assigned assistant principal at Welby Elementary.
• TJ Davenport, assistant principal at Rose Creek Elementary assigned assistant principal at Daybreak Elementary.
• Natalie Gleave, assistant principal at Eastlake Elementary assigned assistant principal at Rose Creek Elementary.
• John Sassman, assistant principal at Midas Creek Elementary assigned assistant principal at Copper Canyon Elementary.
• Allyson Stovall, assistant principal at Southland Elementary assigned assistant principal at Eastlake Elementary.

New Elementary Administrative Intern Assignments effective July 1, 2023:

• Holly Bagley, instructional coach at Plymouth Elementary in Granite School District assigned administrative intern at Southland Elementary.
• Cammie Chang, teacher at Antelope Canyon Elementary assigned administrative intern at Jordan Hills Elementary.
• Betsy Lopez, teacher at Daybreak Elementary assigned administrative intern at Aspen Elementary.
• Lauren Nalder, instructional coach at Riverside Elementary assigned administrative intern at Midas Creek Elementary.

A notification was sent in the Jordan Employee Memos on March 2, 2023 indicating the need to submit a request for the lottery to use Annual or Personal leave for the day before/after the April 24, 2023 Mid Spring non-contract day.

Due to the nature of this new leave day, employees WILL NOT be required to request the day before/after April 24, 2023 as part of the lottery process.  Any employee requesting to use an Annual or Personal leave day before/after April 24, 2023 may do so without penalty.

Those who submitted a lottery request for April 24, 2023 will also be emailed individually.  We apologize for any inconvenience this miscommunication may have caused.

• Annual/Personal Leave Taken Before or After a Holiday 2022-23

All JSD Employees are invited to join a JSD Pickleball League! Two options are available:

Spring Pickleball will meet on Thursdays April 13, 27, May 11, 25, June 1 from 4:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Wardle Fields, Regional Park in Bluffdale. To register, contact Andrew Lovell.

• Spring Pickleball Flyer

---

Summer Pickleball will meet in June/July at Wardle Fields, Regional Park in Bluffdale. Leagues are forming now! Scan the QR Code on the flyer to complete the survey and let your meeting time and day preferences be known. More information is coming soon.

• Summer Pickleball Flyer

All JSD Employees are invited to the FREE Stress Management Support Group at Mountain Ridge High School on Wednesdays from April 12 through May 24, 2023 from 4:15 - 5:30 p.m.

All employees are invited to attend weekly or just once in a while. Topics will rotate each week and you do not have to sign up to attend. Walk-ins are welcome! 

Please feel free to share this information (flyer attached) with your schools.

• Stress Management Support Group Flyer

As part of Jordan School District’s commitment to prioritize the wellness of employees, we are proud to announce the Employee Wellness Center is NOW OPEN.

The purpose of this wellness center will be to expand opportunities for all JSD employees to improve and maintain their personal and professional wellness. The center will offer a single touch point for employee wellness information and services, mental wellness consultations, staff support groups for grief and stress management, yoga and meditation classes, and classes on strategies for enhancing workplace wellness.

For more information about the Employee Wellness Center can be found on the Health & Wellness website.

Yoga has already started and happens every Wednesday at South Hills Middle School’s Dance portable and there is plenty of parking right in front, so you don’t have to walk through the school.

Support groups sign-ups are happening now. 

On-demand wellness content is maintained on the site. Check us out! More to come because we care about you and we're here to support you!

• Employee Wellness Center Flyer

You are invited to a Wellness Accelerator Event at JATC South Auditorium on April 14, from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

The 2023 Wellness Accelerator is an opportunity to learn from passionate educators like you. There will be a variety of topics covered through brief, prepared table-top discussions from educators around Jordan District. Topics include wellness strategies for students and staff. Participants should plan on walking away with practical ways to enhance wellness for yourself and others!

Who should attend? You! With permission from their supervisor, Jordan School District staff committed to SEL/wellness initiatives are invited to attend.

Review the attached flyer and share with those that may be interested in attending. Sign up by using the link below, or use the QR code in the flyer. For more information, please visit wellness.jordandistrict.org/sel 

• 2023 Wellness Accelerator Sign-Up
• 2023 Wellness Accelerator Flyer